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Three elected to Hall of Fame Board

Three elected to Hall of Fame Board

Bob DuPuy, Phil Niekro and Jerry Reinsdorf have been elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum's Board of Directors.

The Board now has 18 members, following the July 26 meeting in which DuPuy, Niekro and Reinsdorf were added to the group.

"With this election of these three individuals, we have added great enthusiasm, experience and passion for the game and its history to the Board," said Jane Forbes Clark, chairman of the Board of Directors. "From diverse backgrounds, Bob, Phil and Jerry share a common love for the game and a deep appreciation and respect for our role as an educational institution. Their vision and dedication will strengthen our institution."

DuPuy has held the position of president and chief operating officer of Major League Baseball since March 7, 2002. He is responsible for all phases of MLB's Central Offices, including licensing, sponsorships, international, broadcasting, publishing, marketing, public relations, government relations, baseball operations, legal affairs, finance, internet operations and the labor relations committee.

Niekro was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1997 following a 24-year Major League career. He flourished as a knuckleball pitcher and wound up with 318 wins and 3,342 strikeouts. Niekro pitched for the Milwaukee Braves (1964-65), Atlanta Braves (1966-83, 1987), New York Yankees (1984-85), Cleveland Indians (1986-87) and Toronto Blue Jays (1987).

Reinsdorf is chairman of the Chicago White Sox. He headed the limited partnership that purchased the White Sox in 1981. Reinsdorf has been involved in Major League Baseball initiatives at an industry-wide level, as a member of the Executive Council, a past chairman of Baseball's Ownership Committee and as a former member of the Players Relations Committee. Reinsdorf also serves as chairman of the NBA's Chicago Bulls.

In addition to Board chairman Clark -- whose grandfather, Stephen C. Clark, founded the Hall of Fame -- the new trio joins vice chairman and Hall of Famer Joe Morgan; Hall of Famers Robin Roberts, Brooks Robinson, Frank Robinson and Tom Seaver; Major League Baseball Commissioner Allan H. "Bud" Selig; Major League owners Bill DeWitt (St. Louis), David Glass (Kansas City) and George Steinbrenner (New York Yankees); former American League president and Hall of Fame executive Lee MacPhail; former MLB president Paul Beeston; Minor League owner Bill Gladstone (Tri-City Valley Cats); Kevin Moore, president of Clark Estates, Inc., and former Hall of Fame chairman Ed Stack.

The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown, N.Y., is one of the country's major tourist destinations and the best-known sports shrine in the world. The independent, not-for-profit educational institution is dedicated to fostering an appreciation of the historical development of baseball and its impact on our culture by collecting, preserving, exhibiting and interpreting its collections for a global audience, as well as honoring those who have made outstanding contributions to our national pastime.

Robert Falkoff is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.